What Can Landscapers Do in the Winter?

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

February 2021 brought unseasonably cold weather and multiple days of snow to Texas. A “winter vortex” like this rarely occurs in the area. Instead, most North Texas winters are relatively mild, leading many to wonder, “what can landscapers do in the winter?”

There are actually quite a few things Texas landscapers can do in winter to help keep your landscape in tip-top shape. Let’s take a look at them now!

How Does Winter Affect Landscaping Services in North Texas?

In further north regions of the US, many landscapers switch to almost exclusively offering snow removal services. This is because the temperatures get so low for so long most plants either die or go dormant. But added snowfall makes it necessary to take care of the snow.

In North Texas, however, the climate is much different. While some years may still produce enough snow that landscapers in winter offer snow removal, it’s not a major service. In fact, the more mild climate actually allows you to continue landscaping even in the winter.

Some plants, such as some more tender perennials, can still be negatively affected by more extreme cold. Others may rebound once the weather warms up. However, other plants are quite tolerant of the North Texas climate. 

These plants may go dormant and awaken in the spring. Others can continue growing during warmer portions of the winter. Because of this, winter landscapers can continue offering quite a few services in North Texas that are uncommon in other parts of the country. In fact, winter is actually the perfect time to take care of some maintenance around your landscape.

Lawn Mowing

Winters can be mild, which means that grass can still grow when it is a bit warmer. By taking advantage of this, you can make sure the lawn is ready to go for spring growth. If temperatures stay below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for a time, grass can go dormant. But North Texas can experience stretches of warm weather that can cause the grass to come out of dormancy and begin growing again.

Since this happens somewhat regularly, you’ll want to have your lawn mowed once or twice during the winter to keep it at a good length. This should be done on a dry day, and the blade height should be around 2-2.5 inches to avoid mold growth.

Irrigation Setup

Because North Texas grass won’t stop growing, it’s important that you make sure it has adequate moisture levels even during the winter. Dormancy does mean your lawn will require less watering, meaning you can reduce the number of watering days down to one per week.

Landscapers in Texas can set up your irrigation system on a winter watering schedule. In addition, they can help set up and check rain and freeze sensors to make sure everything is operational.

Weeding and Seeding

Sometimes weeds can pop up in your yard during winter. Using a spot treatment occasionally can help keep these weeds at bay. As trained landscape professionals, Texas landscapers can apply treatments that can stop weeds from becoming a problem. Pre-emergent treatments can help prevent crabgrass from taking over your lawn. 

Winter, particularly around February, is actually the perfect time to apply pre-emergent herbicides to your lawn. The grass should be dormant, so the treatment will only target the growth from the crabgrass. Another option is to have a pre-emergent applied in the fall and apply for another treatment in December. 

You can also seed your lawn while it’s dormant. This can be a good alternative if you forgot to overseed your lawn in the summer. January or February is a great time to plant new grass seeds and encourage growth when spring rolls around.

Pruning

Midwinter is also a good time to have your trees and shrubs pruned. Over the winter, most deciduous trees lose their foliage. This makes it easier to find any problem spots, such as dead or diseased stems and branches. If larger branches need to be trimmed, you should definitely consult a landscaper. They may need to use specialized equipment to prune the branches as close to the trunk as they need to.

Planting

If you are looking to remove some trees or shrubs from your landscape, winter can be the perfect time to do so. Many new trees and shrubs will be able to be established, but you can consult a landscaper to double-check if any special care is needed. Bare root plants will be especially ready for transplanting at this time. Due to the lower air and soil temperatures, they will stay dormant until spring, when they can start to fully take root.

Cleanup

Winter days without rain or snowfall are a great time to clean up your landscape. Often fallen branches and debris buildup over the winter. This can even cause damage if you let it sit for too long. In addition, organic matter will start to rot due to rain and humidity. Having a landscaper clean up the yard and areas under shrubs and trees can keep your yard healthy and clean-looking.

If you’ve applied ice salt to your walkways, this is also a good time to have the salt cleaned up too. Salt can cause serious damage to both your lawn and soil if left unchecked.

Designing and Planning

Winter is the perfect time to make a plan for any changes you want in your landscape when spring comes. If you start in the fall or winter, you’ll be able to have enough time to get your landscape design exactly where you want it.

Your landscaper can take a look at what you are starting with now. Then, they’ll develop a plan that helps transform your landscape into a place you want to spend time. When spring rolls around, they can get a jump start on the installation.

What Can Landscapers Do in the Winter?

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you need to stop all progress on your landscaping. The answer to “what can landscapers do in North Texas in winter?” is quite extensive. Use this time to get a kickstart on a beautiful landscape.

Call Lawn Connections today to take advantage of landscaping even in the winter!